Ford Fusion previews Mondeo and Falcon

By Neil Dowling
Original Article

AUSTRALIA'S hot tip for the next Ford Falcon stars at Detroit motor show.

The Koreans starred, the Japanese mounted a comeback, and One Ford hit the headlines with an extended family of Focus-based newcomers that it is certain to make a big hit in Australia. But it was one car and the commitment of its company chief that made the most impact as America fought back on the opening day of the 2011 North American International Motor Show.
The 2013 Ford Fusion - which will also provide the platform for the next Mondeo for Europe under Ford boss Alan Mulally's "One Ford" mandate - is the vital C/D segment car that will spawn the sedan, an SUV and a sports variant.
It will also become the platform for a hybrid version and one called the Energi - a plug-in hybrid with a 1.6-litre petrol engine and electric motor.
Fusion picks up some design cues from the Evos concept shown at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show by Ford's style chief J Mays. Mays, interviewed also at last week's Delhi motor show, says the Fusion's lines - and especially the Territory/Falcon grille - will carry over to most Ford products within five years.

The Fusion will come in three trim levels - S, SE and Titanium - and three engines. They are a 2.5-litre petrol four; 1.6-litre EcoBoost petrol four; and 2-litre EcoBoost four. The latter engine will this year be added to the Falcon powertrain lineup.
There's no V6 but other markets may get a diesel in the version badged Mondeo. All are front-drive but - and this will prick up attention in Australia - there will be an all-wheel drive option.

In a statement, Ford says: "Featuring a sleek silhouette and fresh face, the all-new Fusion is the latest in a series of vehicles from Ford - following the 2011 Fiesta subcompact and 2012 Focus small cars - developed to satisfy customers everywhere looking for leading fuel efficiency, helpful technologies and game-changing looks. It claims Fusion will deliver "best-in-class fuel economy".
"Fusion brings the broadest selection of fuel-efficient powertrains in the midsize car segment.
"It offers hybrid and plug-in hybrid alternatives, a pair of EcoBoost four-cylinder engines, a normally aspirated four-cylinder engine, an automatic start stop system to shut off the engine at stationary idle, front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive applications, and a choice between automatic and manually shifted six-speed transmissions.
"The 1.6-litre EcoBoost is expected to deliver best-in-class four-cylinder non-hybrid fuel efficiency.
"The 2.0-litre EcoBoost engine - paired with a paddle-shifted six-speed SelectShift Automatic (dual-clutch) transmission, available 19-inch wheels and tires and all-wheel drive with the ability to send additional torque to the rear - is the Fusion performance option."

The Fusion Hybrid gets lithium-ion batteries to save weight and generate more power than previous nickel-metal hydride batteries, while raising maximum speed under electric-only power from 75km/h to 100km/h.
Fusion Hybrid has a new 2-litre Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder petrol engine, significantly downsized from the previous 2.5-litre unit, while maintaining performance standards.
Ford says its hybrid will "outperform the 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid and the 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid".
The Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid is planned by Ford to be the most fuel-efficient midsize car in the world.

On the market in the third quarter of 2012, Fusion Energi is anticipated to deliver better economy that the Chevrolet Volt and the Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid model.
Fusion will be built at Ford's Hermosillo, Mexico, and then additional production will be sourced from the AutoAlliance International Plant in Flat Rock, Michigan.
Fusion goes on sale later this year and Mondeo will follow early in 2013.

The car will appear in Ford showrooms in North America and South America and Mondeo will follow for Europe and Asia and Australia early in 2013.

Contact Etheridge Ford for more information on this great car!

Ford Transit unveiling at Geneva

By Craig Duff
Original Article

The next gen Ford Transit has been revealed at Geneva show.

Ford is about to make the white van stylish, if the Tourneo concept is any indication. The eight-seat people-mover debuted at the Geneva Motor Show and, while it won't be seen in Australia, the platform and styling will form the basis for the Ford Transit van that is popular with city-based cargo carriers.
The new Transit is due late this year and Ford has worked hard to give the van a more carlike look inside and out. The Tourneo concept follows Ford's Kinetic design approach and the sculpted front end has elements of the Focus and Escape passenger cars.
That extend to the interior, with the instrument panel and dash following the Focus small car look.
A rear-view camer should keep Transit buyers - and the owners of nearby vehicles - happy, while the concept also featured a lane departure warning and driver fatigue alert systems, along with Ford's Sync infotainment system that connects with smart phones.

The Tourneo concept is powered by a 114kW 2.2-litre diesel engine with stop-start technology. Lower spec variants of the engine will also be available in 74kW and 92kW configurations. The Tourneo Custom Concept has seats and is being presented as a people mover, but Ford says a true commercial range will follow. 
The new Transit will be based on what Ford is calling a 'global' platform, under the same One Ford strategy that could spell the end for an unique Australian Falcon, but oddly it won't be sold in the US.
Europe can expect the new Transit range, which will be offered in short and long wheelbase forms, to arrive next year and Working Wheels understands the range will be made available in Australia at some stage during 2013.
This model Transit is front-drive and Working Wheels expects larger rear-drive models, which better carry big loads, will also be made available. The Tourneo Custom Concept runs the same 2.2-litre DuraTorq TDCi turbo diesel that has just been introduced in the current Transit.

In Europe this engine runs a stop-start feature, which kills the engine when it comes to a halt to save fuel. Future production Transits will run the same system in a bid to save as much fuel as possible.
Ford says the engines, which will run a range of other improvements, will be available with outputs of 75kW, 93kW and 116kW. They will be hooked up to a six-speed manual gearbox.
The Tourneo Custom Concept has an all-new interior, which Ford describes as 'driver-focussed' using materials of the same quality as a modern sedan.
The show vehicle is fitted with a voice control system for the phone and audio controls as well as an advanced control system kicks in to keep it from straying out of its lane.

Contact Etheridge Ford for more information on this great car!

Small ‘EcoBoost’ engines on Ford Australia’s radar

By Tim Beissmann
Original Article

Ford Australia will introduce a number of new, smaller fuel-efficient EcoBoost engines into its compact-car line-up in the near future.
The local car maker already has 2.0-litre four-cylinder versions of the EcoBoost engines, which combine direct injection and turbocharging for good power and economy, in the Mondeo medium car and the Falcon from April.
The company is expected to follow them with a 1.6-litre EcoBoost for the Focus in mid 2013 but has confirmed it will consider a new 1.0-litre EcoBoost unit for the Focus as well as the Fiesta city car.
In the UK, the 1.0-litre EcoBoost will be offered in an entry-level 74kW tune as well as a more powerful 92kW version. It returns a combined cycle fuel consumption as low as 4.8 litres per 100km in the five-door Focus hatch.
Ford Australia’s Sinead Phipps said we would not see the 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine in our market until it debuted in the all-new Ford EcoSport sub-compact SUV, which is expected to go on sale around the middle of 2013.

Phipps said Ford Australia would then consider other applications for the engine, including the Focus small car and the light-sized Fiesta.
CarAdvice understands the Focus 1.6 EcoBoost could launch at around the same time as the Fiesta-based EcoSport launches, in around 18 months’ time.
The UK-spec Focus with the 1.6-litre EcoBoost engine produces 110kW of power and 220Nm of torque, and utilises start-stop technology to return combined cycle fuel consumption of 6.0L/100km.
The Falcon will become the second model in Ford Australia’s line-up to adopt EcoBoost technology when the 179kW/353Nm 2.0-litre variant goes on sale in April. Ford first introduced EcoBoost to Australia in July 2011 with the launch of the mid-sized Mondeo EcoBoost, which uses a 149kW/300Nm tune of the same 2.0-litre engine

The Focus ST will be the next EcoBoost model in Australia. The hot hatch will storm local showrooms in the final quarter of this year with yet another tune of the 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, this time producing 184kW and 360Nm.
Although Ford has not yet officially confirmed production of the smaller Fiesta ST, it is only a matter of time before the Volkswagen Polo GTI fighter is given the green light. The production version of the Fiesta ST is likely to be powered by a 132kW/240Nm tune of the 1.6-litre EcoBoost unit.
The all-new Ford Kuga compact SUV is also likely to feature at least one EcoBoost engine when it launches in Australia next year. Ford confirmed the Kuga, which was revealed at the Los Angeles motor show in November 2011, would be available with both 1.6- and 2.0-litre EcoBoost engines.

Contact Etheridge Ford for more information on this great car!

Ford Fiesta ST: hottest, fastest Fiesta unveiled

By Tim Beissmann
Original Article

The Ford Fiesta ST will go on sale in Australia in around 18 months’ time, giving the blue oval a flagship hot hatch to rival the Volkswagen Polo GTI and the Suzuki Swift Sport.
The production version of the Fiesta ST has been revealed in Geneva in three-door form for the first time. The racy light hatch will hit the European market in 2013, and is set to land down under around mid to late 2013.
Although considered a no-brainer, today’s unveiling of the Fiesta ST production car is our first official confirmation that Ford will build the car. A three-door Fiesta ST concept premiered last September in Frankfurt, and was followed by a five-door concept in November.

Like the concepts, the Ford Fiesta ST is powered by a turbocharged 1.6-litre EcoBoost petrol engine that produces 132kW and 240Nm of torque – putting it just 10Nm off the pace of the Polo GTI.
Ford promises acceleration from 0-100km/h in under seven seconds and a top speed in excess of 220km/h, while fuel consumption and emissions are also 20 per cent lower than the previous Fiesta ST.
Developed by Ford’s Team RS, the Fiesta ST gets a specially tuned chassis that sits 15mm lower than the standard Fiesta. Torque Vectoring Control and three electronic stability control modes contribute to significant ride and handling improvements, proven over more than 5000km of testing on the Nurburgring.

Along with the go-fast exterior design, the Fiesta ST comes with Recaro sports seats, SYNC voice-activated in-car connectivity system, and MyKey, which allows owners to limit the car’s performance when less experienced drivers are behind the wheel.
Ford Australia’s Sinead Phipps says the local manufacturer has not yet finalised if it will offer the Fiesta ST in three-door or five-door form, or both. As there are no three-door models in Ford Australia’s standard Fiesta range, the Fiesta ST five-door appears most likely for our market.
Although it’s still more than a year away, the Ford Fiesta ST is likely to be priced around $25,000 when it arrives in Australia.

Contact Etheridge Ford for more information on this great car!

Ford Focus: 1.0-litre Ecoboost to rule engine roost

By Jez Spinks
Original Article

The Ford Focus range will become dominated by a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo as Ford starts to phase out its normally aspirated units for downsized forced induction petrol engines.
The pint-sized engine, which has a block footprint the size of an A4 sheet of paper, has recently been launched in the Focus small car in Europe, with Ford Australia expected to introduce the Focus 1.0 EcoBoost in late 2013.
The three-cylinder punches well above its weight, producing either 74kW or 92kW from two engine tunes while slurping as little as 4.8 litres of fuel per 100km in a five-door Ford Focus.
It brings an improvement of about 20 per cent in fuel efficiency compared to the 1.6-litre four-cylinder found in the entry-level model of the Ford Focus range in Australia.

Ford’s vehicle line director for C-segment (small car) vehicles, Gunnar Herrmann, told CarAdvice at last week’s 2012 Geneva motor show that although the engine isn’t cheap to produce, its performance and efficiency makes it an obvious choice to become the dominant Focus engine in developed markets.
“The majority of the European market will start to substitute [with this 1.0-litre EcoBoost] so get out of the [1.6-litre] 160 iVTC,” he says. “[The 1.0-litre] is so refined, so characteristic, it’s quiet, [and] with overboost offers up to 230Nm. That’s performance you normally get with a 2.0-litre engine.
“I think [the normally aspirated 1.6-litre petrol engines] will disappear. It is certainly more technology [with the three-cylinder] but subsequently there is more cost, so you have to take this into consideration.
“But for the more sophisticated markets especially where prepared to pay it will clearly end up 100 per cent. Certainly in the C segment, if you want to downsize dramatically you have to go this route.”

The 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine is expected to make its Australian debut in the Ford EcoSport baby SUV  that will launch about mid 2013.
A Focus 1.0L EcoBoost model should follow after that, though the engine will also become available in the Fiesta range.
EcoBoost engines combine turbocharging and direct injection for effective performance and economy, and they’re gradually becoming the primary petrol engine family for Ford.
A 1.6-litre turbo EcoBoost engine is also available for the Focus, with a version of it also powering the new Ford Fiesta ST hot-hatch.
In April Ford Australia will release a Falcon variant powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder EcoBoost engine.

Contact Etheridge Ford for more information on this great car!